Surgical knife.



m 756,213. 7 PATBNTED APR. 5, 1904.

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. SURGIGAL KNIFE.

APPLICATION FILED BERT. B, 1903.

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Wiigcsscs Z 6 9 by 7929211 m el lfomjys UNITED STATES Patented April 5,1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SMITH A. OONNELL, SR, OF EAST LAS VEGAS, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SMITH A. CONNELL, JR, OF EAST LAS VEGAS,TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

SURGICAL KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 56,213, dated April5, 1904:.

Application filed September 8, 1903 Serial No. 172,390. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SMITH A. OONNELL, Sr. a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at East Las Vegas, in the county of San Miguel andTerritory of New Mexico, have invented a new and useful Surgical Knife,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to surgical knives; and the object thereof is toprovide a suitable form of surgical knife which may be used for cuttingin body-cavities under circumstances which render the use of a knife ofany of the ordinary forms impracticable.

In the drawings accompanying this specification I have ill ustratedseveral different forms of embodiment of the invention, all designed tomeet slightly-difierent conditions.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of one form of knife embodyingmy invention in which the handle and blade are separate and are providedwith a special form of fastening means by which they may be secured inperfectly rigid association. Fig. 2 is an edge-view of the knife shownin Fig. 1 with the blade and handle formed integral. Fig. 3 is a view ofa form of the invention having an integral blade and handle andespecially adapted for dental work. Fig. 4 is another form of knifehaving an integral blade and handle for dental use. Fig. 5 is aview ofthe modified form of blade for use with a separate handle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the separable blade ofthe knife illustrated in Fig. 1. The blade 1 is preferably circular,except where a notch is formed in its periphery for purposes presentlyto be explained. The blade 1 is thickest at the center, as shown in Fig.2, and becomes gradually thinner toward the periphery, where it isground to an edge of sufficient sharpness, except at the notch 2. Thehandle 3 is preferably formed of a single piece of metal and slotted ati to receive the blade. The face of the slot is adapted to conform tothe V -shaped notch 52 in the periphery of the blade. The

.blade is secured in position on the handle by means of a screw 5passing through a threaded opening provided therefor in the slotted endof the handle.

The knife formed as above described is readily sterilized when thebladeis removed from the handle, and when the blade and handle areassembled they are held in practically rigid association, so that thereis no play of the blade in the end of the handle, which would bedisadvantageous in surgical work.

In the form of knife illustrated in Fig. 3 the blade 6 is smaller thanthe blade 1 shown in Fig. 1 and is formed integral with the handle 7 sothat the knife may be readily sterilized without separating the bladeand handle. The integral construction of the .blade and handle is ofadvantage in knives of small size; but in knives having larger blades itis desirable to have the blade separable from the handle andprovide aplurality of blades for use with each handle.

The form of knife illustrated in Fig. 4 is substantially similar to thatshownin Fig. 3, having a blade 8 of precisely similar form, but having ahandle 9, which is bent to facilitate the use of the implement inoperating within the mouth, for which work it is desirable that thehandle be so constructed that when in use the hand of the operator ofthe knife will not obstruct his View of the mouthcavity.

The blade 10 illustrated in Fig. 5 may be used, if desired, in place ofthe blade 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and is adapted for use withincavities whose depth is great in relationto their width.

It will be observed that with knives of any of the forms above describedit is easy to cut 1. A surgical knife comprising ahandle and a bladerigidly mounted in said handle and having a cutting edge which forms acontinuous curve from one side of the handle to the other and is adaptedto cut when pressed in any direction.

2. A surgical knife comprising a handle and a blade rigidly anddetachably mounted in said handle, said blade having a cutting edgewhich is formed in a continuous curve and is adapted to cut when pressedin any direction.

3. A surgical knife comprising a substantially circular blade having anotch in the periphery thereof, a separable handle having a slot toreceive said blade and a projection to engage said notch, and means forsecuring said blade in said slot.

SMITH A. CONNELL, SR.

Witnesses:

M. M. GRIFFITH, A. WHITTIER.

